"The
first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers."
-Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 2 (1592)
Despite the centuries-old
disrepute that surrounds the practice of law, students
are entering the profession in record numbers.1 The law
offers many attractions: prestige, power, a professional
lifestyle, a range of salaries from decent to excessive,
and a chance, perhaps, to "change the world,"
if not on a large scale, at least on a small, local or
individual scale. But the profession also suffers a poor
public image, fewer jobs for recent graduates of law school,
and a high burnout rate among those who work as lawyers.
Add to this the overwhelming expense--both economic and
emotional--of law school, and it is clear applying to
law school is not a decision to be made lightly. Whatever
your motivation for entering the profession, be well-informed.
Study your motivations for entering law school, so as
to avoid making a major life decision on a whim; learn
as much as you can about the profession before you invest
your life in it.
As burnout expert Deborah
Arron writes, "The most appropriate reason to enroll
in law school is to study and/or practice law."2
She goes on to suggest the following oft-cited justifications
for choosing law school are self-evidently problematic:
-
I didn't
have the right background for an M.B.A. or M.D.
-
I didn't
know what else to do with my life.
-
I didn't
like the sight of blood.
-
I failed
all my science classes.
-
I figured
other people would think I was trained to do or be anything.
-
I thought
accounting would be boring.
-
I wanted
a profession with prestige, respect and status.
-
I wanted
intellectual challenge in my work.
-
I wanted
to change the world.
-
I wanted
to earn a lot of money.
-
I wanted
to help others.
-
I wanted
to right societal wrongs.
|
|
Many who went to law school
for these reasons find themselves dissatisfied with the
profession.You need to think carefully and realistically
about your motivations for pursuing a law degree, especially
in light of the amount of time and money involved. Arron
has developed a list of traits shared by contented lawyers
that may help you determine your potential satisfaction
with the profession.
Display
a love of learning
Pay attention to details
Respect the rules
Possess strong analytical abilities
Achievement oriented
Competitive |
Steady
and stable
Patient and persistent
More realistic than idealistic
More conventional than innovative
More dispassionate than emotional
Thick-skinned |
She supplements this list
with a very useful Personality Preference Quiz that will
begin to help you determine if the law is for you.
1.
Do you like to get emotionally involved with your
work?
2. Do you dislike or attempt to avoid conflict?
3. In resolving conflict, do you prefer deciding what's
fair based on the circumstances of each situation?
4. Do you like to create or start projects and let
others finish or maintain them?
5. Do you dislike paying attention to details? |
6.
Do you prefer short-term projects?
7. Do you value efficiency?
8. Do you like to do things your own way, on your
own schedule, and in order of your own priorities?
9. Do you get more satisfaction being part of a team
than being a solo act?
10. Do you want to change the world? |
A yes answer to any of these questions ought to raise
serious questions about the wisdom of using a law degree
to practice law, and should push you toward a more thorough
self-assessment and consideration of alternative career
paths.
|
|
Career Choices |
Those
who have earned law degrees are not restricted in career choices.
A Juris Doctorate can serve as a ticket of admission to careers
in business, communications, politics, academia, not to mention
non-practitioner jobs within the profession, including the extensive
legal products and services industry.
Other ways to determine
whether law school is right for you: talk to lawyers, both practicing
and non-practicing; volunteer in a legal services program; do a
legislative internship, or an internship in a law firm; read about
law school and the legal profession in professional journals and
books devoted to the subject. Many of the publications on the Suggested
Reading List provide practical information for making a decision
about a career in law.
1 "As the recession
maintained its hold on the legal profession during 1992, the nation's
ABA-accredited law schools graduated 39,045 JD's--the largest class
on record." National Association for Law Placement, Class of
1992 Employment Report and Salary Survey (ERSS).
2 Deborah Arron, What
Can You Do With A Law Degree? (Seattle: Niche Press, 1994), p. 30.
The following material borrowed from Arron is also from this book.
While it is intended as a guide for lawyers suffering from burnout
in the profession, it is a good idea for those considering the profession
to read through it to avoid making the mistakes that produce lawyers
unhappy with their career choice.
Endnotes
Deborah Arron, What Can You Do With
A Law Degree? (Seattle,: Niche Press, 1994), p. 30. The following
material borrowed from Arron is also from this book. While it is
intended as a guide for lawyers suffering from burnout in the profession,
it is a good idea for those considering the profession to read through
it to avoid making the mistakes that produce lawyers unhappy with
their career choice.
Law School Admission Council, "Financial
Aid for Law School: A Preliminary Guide" (Newtown: Law Services,
1998).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
